a. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to a system and method for providing information to a user, including weather information. The information is specific to sites of interest to the user and the information is also currently relevant. The system can also be used to provide information other than weather information, such as hazard information.
b. Background of the Invention
Weather can be hazardous to both people and to property. Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, windstorms, extreme cold, extreme heat, and a multitude of other circumstances present risks directly related to weather. People can be caught in severe weather and have their lives put at risk. Besides threatening people's lives, weather can also damage property.
Many people will have several locations they are concerned about at any one time. These locations or points of interest can include such things as a person's home, a business or place of work, a vacation home, someone's own physical location, the position of loved ones such as children, parents, or a spouse, or any of a wide number of other possible locations. People may want notice of weather which can impact any of these points of interest. For the notice to be most effective, it should be specific to the points of interest for the individual, and it should be timely in that it should provide warnings well enough in advance that a person can respond, but not so far in advance that a person loses interest.
Some of these points of interest can be mobile so that the location of the point of interest is variable. For example, the location of an individual can change as the individual walks, drives or rides to a different position. Also, the position of a loved one can change if that person moves to a different location. It is possible for the position of an individual to be tracked even though that individual is mobile. Devices such as global positioning indicators, commonly referred to as “GPS,” are available which can track a person's location.
Different people may want different types of notices. Certain people will not want to be disturbed unless any impending weather is very severe. Other people will not want to be disturbed at certain times of day, such as during their work, or when they are asleep. On the other hand, some people will want to know about impending weather in practically every situation. For a weather notice to be deserving of attention, it should be relevant to the points of interest for the individual, it should be timely, and the information should preferably be customized to that particular person.
Providing information that is specific to a person's points of interests, information that is current, and information that is customized to that person's preferences can have many advantages. This includes possibly saving lives because it can allow a person to avoid severe weather or to find a safe location to ride out severe weather. It can also allow someone to notify a loved one that severe weather is about to strike so the loved one can take precautions. Such notice may also reduce property damage by allowing someone to prepare a residence or other property before severe weather strikes. This can include such things as putting a vehicle inside a safe building or closing shutters on a house.
Other systems for providing timely information have been described. For example, Baron, Sr. et al. describes a notification system in U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,633, issued Dec. 10, 2002. This patent describes a computer system configured to receive data indicative of an event, and to define an area affected by the event. The computer system distributes information indicative of the area affected by the event to a plurality of remote devices. These remote devices communicate with a distribution site to receive information indicating the area affected by the event, and each remote device is configured to determine if it is affected by the event and to respond accordingly.
Kelly et al. describe a system for providing personalized storm warnings in U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,664, issued Nov. 21, 2006. Kelly describes a system for generating storm warnings which are automatically tailored for a particular user's location of interest. The user establishes an individualized user profile which may define a location of interest and a contact address for receiving a storm warning. The user profile can also define characteristics of a storm for which the user desires to receive storm warnings. A detailed storm track is generated, and compared to the user profile. Personalized storm warnings are then generated for user profiles defining a location within a predicted storm track if the storm characteristics specified in the storm profile are met. The storm warning can then be delivered via e-mail, cell phone, pager, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,159 by Smith describes another event reporting system. Smith describes a system for receiving hazard and event information in a mobile unit, and using that information to warn a user of a future hazard with reference to the mobile unit's location and/or intended direction of travel. An algorithm compares a forecast location of a mobile device with a forecast hazard, and transmits a warning to each mobile unit predicted to encounter the hazard. The mobile unit's position is updated in an event center as the mobile unit moves, and revised warnings are transmitted as applicable.
Timely, customized notice of severe weather can provide peace of mind. A parent may know that their child was not impacted by the severe weather because no notice was received. On the other hand, if severe weather did strike their child's location, they may be able to contact local hospitals or emergency services with important information on allergies, conditions or other information relating to their child or loved one. A service which can provide current information specific to an individual's own points of interest can also provide information on other hazards. This can include such things as chemical spills, traffic, accidents, criminal activity, volcanic eruptions, and a multitude of other hazards. The provision of a system which can provide this sort of information will benefit people in many ways.